What should happen when I ID one adult for alcohol, but their friend tries to pay in cash and refuses to show ID?

Where I get truly confused is when the customer's accomplice hands me the cash or swipes, and says, "this is their money, this is their card, I'm not really buying it". Am I still required to card them if they claim they're not paying for it?

After arguing, what if the friend just hands the adult the cash/card in front of me? It seems sketchy but i could be wrong.

This happened to me once, and I kept insisting for an ID, but they started getting angry at me, so I backed down because I didn't feel like arguing and there was line I had to shorten.

But now that my supervisor made us sign a notice saying we understood the consequences of selling alcohol to a minor, I want to do the right thing next time. Am I wrong to check the friend's ID?

Most Helpful Girl

Yes, you are still required to card them. If they refuse to show their ID, you need to deny the entire sale. Check the liquor sales laws for your area and make sure, but where I live, if a group of people is purchasing alcohol every member of the group needs to be carded. It's illegal to sell alcohol to a minor and there are many and serious consequences for it, so next time, don't let a pushy customer or a line scare you into doing the wrong thing. Those customers are the ones holding everything up, not you. If you run into trouble, call your manager over rather than making the sale.

I can't be sure, but I would assume that it's not legal for a 16 year old to buy alcohol for a 12 year old in your country.

In the U. S., you can't purchase or consume alcohol until you are 21, and liquor sales laws are very strict. They know that people try to find loopholes and buy alcohol for minors so they make it harder to do that. Obviously it's possible to purchase alcohol for a minor, but it's not legal to do so, and you have to be sneaky. You can't just walk in with them and claim that the older person is the one buying it.

@samhradh_leannan yes, the legal system tells cops to back down because the prisons are full. prison guards were recently striking for about a week. then they put police officers in the prisons and they started striking as well. they spoke about the military, but they are not trained nor funded enough to do that job. also the military is not allowed to strike. yeah our country goes to shit. everyone at the government is taking turns at striking. first the railroad company (government owned), then the prison guards and now the police also the airport in brussels was striking and so were. truckdrivers criminality everywhere. how else do you think all major terrorism attacks including those in france were organized from within brussels? the government is now taxing the people double. people are suing the government.

Is he handing you the money, is he holding the alcohol or asking for the alcohol? Then he is buying it, period. You are not going to get in trouble if a cop overhears it, he'd correct you because you are being duped. But next time, say: "this card is clearly not you. I cannot sell you alcohol until I see proof of your ID as required by state law." If he says that he is not buying the alcohol and that he is only carrying it for a friend, say "Then they should come here and purchase it or let someone with proper ID that shows that they are at least 21 years of age, by law I cannot do it any other way. If I were to do that, I would lose my job and fined."

She could definitely get in trouble for doing the wrong thing. You need a liquor sales license to sell alcohol in the U. S., so you are required to know and understand the law if you are selling alcohol.

Different states and countries have different rules regarding selling alcohol. But yes, YOU need to be very smart about selling alcohol. If the customer does not show his/her ID when asked, you have every right to end the sale and call the manager over. If someone comes in who is of age and can buy alcohol, and buys it but gives it to someone else, that sale was between you and the first person, not the second. In the scenario you gave, I would have said, "if you cannot show me ID, then I cannot sell to you." You are liable, so be smart, and keep that in mind. You don't want to go to jail for being timid or because the customer bullied you into selling to them.